The immigration backlog of the United States continues to rise at dizzying rates, resulting in migrants having to wait for years before getting any resolution for their cases.
There are even stories of migrants dying before their visas, work permits, green cards, and naturalization petitions reached a resolution.
According to data tracked by the Syracuse University, unresolved cases are about to hit 2 million. Common sense as confirmed by reporting indicates that the backlogs spiked because of the pandemic, but with the US relaxing COVID measures, the backlog continues to grow.
A factor to emphasize is that in the entirety of the US, there are only 600 immigration judges to rule on these cases. Many of these judges handle up to 4,000 cases each.
If the country had unlimited resources and law professionals, an easy solution would be to hire more judges – but that is not the case. This is why experts have been calling for prioritization: that the cases that need to be resolved more urgently.
Of the almost 2 million people waiting in the backlog, some 750,000 are asylum-seekers. These migrants are placed in a tight spot because the US only allows for 180-day work permits after the filing of an asylum petition, forcing many to work illegally.
While the government has enacted policies to help in reducing the backlog, such as making it easier for migrants with advanced STEM degrees, these have so far been insufficient.
The US needs to respond to this urgent problem as more migrants enter the country, the situation exacerbated by conflict in the Middle East and more recently in Ukraine.
To make sense of the backlog and find alternate paths to citizenship, reach out to a trusted immigration lawyer.
